


Burning desire

by vavavavoom_beautifulbeautifulbombshell



Series: Desire and passion [1]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:49:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27578734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vavavavoom_beautifulbeautifulbombshell/pseuds/vavavavoom_beautifulbeautifulbombshell
Summary: When Captain Janeway notices that someone must have entered her quarters without her permission she turns apprehensive due to past encounters with hostile alien species in the Delta Quadrant. Determined to get to the bottom of this, afraid her ship and crew could be in potential danger she informs Tuvok, asking him to investigate this matter with the utmost discretion. Meanwhile, a certain ex-Borg contemplates all her life choices.
Relationships: Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine
Series: Desire and passion [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036137
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36





	Burning desire

„Regeneration cycle incomplete.“ Seven of Nine heaved a sigh, stepping out of her alcove. „Insufficient!“ she huffed under her breath, her eyes wandered around the familiar Cargo Bay she reluctantly called her home. Knowing she would not be able to complete a whole regeneration cycle tonight the restless young woman left the Cargo Bay, hoping that a walk might help her calm her restless mind.

Unknown to her a certain redhead was awake as well, sleep once more eluding her. Janeway went over to her bookshelf, deciding to read one of her novels to pass some time and maybe eventually fall asleep after all.

Seven following a sudden impulse took the turbo lift up to Deck 3. Once she stood in front of the Captain's quarters she suddenly wasn't so sure if disturbing the Captain at such a late hour was a good idea. Past encounters of this kind had shown that Janeway was a night owl who often appreciated the company of the young woman to engage in a nightly philosophical discussion or simply talk about Seven's progress in terms of humanity.

Decision made, the blonde rang the chime to the Captain's quarters, figuratively crossing her fingers that the older woman was still awake and she'd be granted permission in. A soft sigh left Seven when the familiar husky voice of her Captain called out from inside her quarters. „Come in!“ Seven entered the threshold, a curious sensation taking hold of her at the sight of Kathryn Janeway lounging in her reading chair, a book in her hand. Seven instantly got the feeling to have intruded since the older woman had obviously been reading.

Janeway turned her gaze up, smiling at the sight of her protégée. „Seven, having trouble regenerating?“ The young woman nodded at this. „I am. Please excuse the intrusion. You were busy reading. Were you not?“ The Captain waved it off, shaking her head. „You're not intruding anything, Seven. I was trying to read, but frankly, I was unable to. The fact that I already read this book countless times before merely made matters worse. Would you like some herbal tea?“

Seven gave a curt nod at this, still standing there in her typical fashion, her hands clasped behind her back. Janeway noticing this gestured towards her couch. „Have a seat, Seven.“. Seven stiffly took a seat in an uncomfortably upright position. The Captain soon joined her on the couch, handing her the freshly replicated herbal tea while nursing a cup of coffee. Seven blinked at this. „Captain, do you think it is wise to consume coffee at this hour?“ Janeway chuckled at this, waving it off. „Don't worry about me, Seven. At this rate another cup of coffee might actually help me sleep.“ The younger woman raised her left brow in her typical fashion at this. „In that case, suit yourself, Captain.“

The two women had soon engaged in pleasant small talk, Janeway being the only exception who made small talk enjoyable to the stoic young woman who usually loathed 'mindless' conversation. She kept this fact to herself however, afraid her Captain would take it the wrong way. Seven was currently taking a sip of her herbal tea when Janeway leaned closer, making the unexpecting blonde stiffen, her pulse skyrocketing for reasons she could not comprehend, a whiff of the older woman's unique scent mixed with her shampoo and the coffee she'd just been drinking hitting her nostrils. Janeway's elegant fingers removed an invisible speck of dust from Seven's biosuit, that alluring husky voice causing the small hairs on the young woman's arms to stand. „There, now you're speck free.“

Seven who's mind felt like mush desperately tried to remember how to talk, or what words even were. It took her 1.25 minutes to mutter. „Thank you, Captain.“ If Janeway had noticed the delay in her protégée's response she didn't let it on which Seven on her part was thankful for. She didn't have time to calm herself enough to be prepared for the older woman's next question, however. „By the way, how are things looking for you in terms of romance? You seemed rather interested in the subject, but it appeared to me that you were holding back approaching possible candidates though. Did you ever get to have a second date after that 'mock date' the Doctor had set up for you a while back?“

Seven had a hard time not to spit out her tea at the question, only thanks to her nanoprobes which regulated her bodily functions did she not blush. Her tone much to her relief did not give away her struggles as it sounded confident and admittedly slightly arrogant as always. „I did not wish to go on a second date, or consider looking for another candidate again since those attempts would have been futile, seeing as how there is no other suitable individual on this ship that meets my requirements.“ Janeway's expression had turned unreadable at this, her tone for reasons Seven could not determine lacking its previous warmth. „I see.“

Seven, feeling like the room temperature had dropped, making her shiver got up, blurting out. „It is late. I have yet to regenerate and you need rest too, Captain. I will go back 'home' now. Thank you for the conversation and tea. Good night. I will see you in a few hours.“ Janeway got up as well, accompanying the young woman to the door. „I hope you will be able to regenerate this time, Seven. Good night and sweet dreams. I will see you for the senior staff meeting at 1000 hours.“ The young woman had almost forgotten about the staff meeting which was highly atypical for her, giving a curt nod in confirmation. „See you at 1000 hours, Captain.“

„Regeneration cycle incomplete.“ Seven blinked her eyes open with a huff. No matter how hard she tried there was no point even trying to regenerate, the memory of her Captain's scent resulting in her vital functions to seemingly malfunction. 'I must be damaged. This is most uncomfortable. I shall conduct research on my symptoms and work on finding out what the meaning of my inability to regenerate is.', she mused to herself, walking up to her working console, tapping in her symptoms into the terminal in her typical inhuman speed. The results the database then presented to her left her even more frustrated than she'd already been, to begin with. The most ridiculous suggestion in the young woman's opinion being that an individual experiencing those symptoms was most likely 'in love'. Who should she be in love with though? „Insufficient!“, the by now infuriated young woman exclaimed.

She got ready, changing into a fresh biosuit instead, combing through her golden tresses before twisting them into her typical tight bun. Once she was good to go she left the Cargo Bay, considering the time 0930 hours she decided to head to the conference room right away. She was very well aware that there was still half an hour left before the staff meeting was supposed to be held, yet she knew that thirty minutes weren't enough to start anything new in Astrometrics. The real reason behind her decision was that she knew that she would not be able to get any work done before this staff meeting was done with, secretly dreading the event.

Seven was given no breather, however. She had just entered the room when the door opened again, a familiar husky voice greeting her. „Good morning, Seven.“ The tall woman startled at this, shivers running down the whole of her body which highly irritated and frustrated her. She swallowed, trying to get rid of the dryness having formed in her throat before answering. „Good morning, Captain. You are early.“ The redhead barked out a laugh at this, unable to help herself which thoroughly confused the younger woman, yet made her feel oddly accomplished as well. „So are you, Seven. I'm the Captain so I'm required to arrive early. Why are you here so early though? There are still 22 minutes left before the meeting will begin.“

Seven felt caught at this, but being her perfectionist self she did not plan to let that on, answering plainly. „I deemed it inefficient to still go to Astrometrics and start something new since I left the Cargo Bay rather late, so I decided it to be best to go straight here and wait for the meeting instead.“ The Captain nodded at this, her expression laced with understanding, and something else Seven was unable to determine. „Ah, well that makes sense. Did you finally manage to complete a regeneration cycle?“ The younger woman felt her chest tighten at the question, turning her gaze down in shame at her own incompetence. „I-“ Her speech was interrupted by a cheerful greeting from the Doctor. „Good morning, ladies!“

Seven stiffened at the chirpy voice of the EMH, inwardly scolding herself for having failed to hear him enter the room. She did have to admit to herself that she was somewhat relieved to have been saved from answering that dreadful question, at the same time she was annoyed to have been interrupted in her speech and that her conversation with the Captain had been cut short since she always enjoyed talking to the older woman regardless of the topic. Janeway smiled at the hologram, much to Seven's chagrin, and replied. „Good morning, Doctor.“

Janeway walked over to the conference table, taking a seat in her usual chair, Seven tagging along, and following her example. While they were walking the young woman couldn't help but once again catch a whiff of the older woman's scent, resulting in a curious sensation that much felt like a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. 'This is most unpleasant. I truly must be malfunctioning after all. I should accompany the Doctor to sickbay and consult him about this after the meeting.' Seven had a hard time not to sigh when she took a seat, feeling beyond drained due to her inability to regenerate the previous night combined with those unpleasant symptoms.

The senior staff meeting seemed to stretch out endlessly, everyone seemingly having a lot to say today which infuriated Seven to the point of being hardly able to keep her composure. She was to her own shock drenched in sweat, her already impossibly tight biosuit clinging to her skin, making it hard to breathe. Seven almost stumbled when she got up from her seat, only thanks to sheer Borg willpower was she still able to catch up with the Doctor who had already left the room. „Doctor, I seem to be malfunctioning. I have developed concerning symptoms that first occurred last night.“ The EMH was instantly alert at that, ordering a side-to-side transport to sickbay much to Seven's relief who did not think she could've managed to walk another step, afraid to pass out any moment.

The Doctor upon taking a closer look at her gasped in shock. „Seven! What happened to you? You are drenched in sweat! There must be something wrong with your nanoprobes. Tell me, what are those symptoms you have been experiencing, Seven and when exactly did you first notice them? Did they get worse since they first occurred?“ The young woman felt her vision start to blur, her head aching at the rambling Doctor. She leaned against a biobed, trying to gather her bearings, recounting. „It all started with me being unable to regenerate last night, no matter how hard I tried. My senses seem to be heightened as well. Whenever I am in the same room with this one individual I experience overwhelmingly strong, foreign emotions. The scent of said individual and being in close proximity to them results in my head starting to spin, my heart rate to pick up, my perspiration to increase, as well as my respiration to quicken. What is your professional opinion on this matter, Doctor?“

To Seven's utter disbelief the Doctor told her cheerfully, a grin on his face. „Oh, Seven! You are not malfunctioning. The symptoms you just described are that of a person that is in love! Who is the lucky individual?“ The Doctor backed away as Seven hissed at him at this, her tone icy. „Doctor, I am not 'in love'! This is impossible. The individual that evokes those physical sensations in me is a female as well and you taught me yourself before that human mating is only possible between a male and a female. Being a female myself there is no way I could copulate, let alone procreate with the individual in question.“

To the blonde's shock, the Doctor asked her in astonishment. „Seven, you downloaded 30.000 Giga quads worth of information on the subject of romance. Did the database not mention anything about same-sex relationships?“ Seven was deeply irritated by the unexpected question. „Same-sex relationships? I have never heard about that concept before. What would be the point of that? Two individuals of the same sex are not able to procreate. It is illogical for them to copulate with each other. You are not making any sense, Doctor. Explain!“

The Doctor told her at this. „The biological aspect of the matter is only one small part of a romantic relationship between two human individuals, Seven. Two individuals of the same gender may not be able to procreate with each other. However, they can still go on dates together, enjoy each other's company, and have a fulfilled sex life with each other. I sincerely apologize for not informing you about that option before, Seven. Had I known that you were swinging the other way I would've included females into the list of possible candidates for that first date of yours...“ The hologram's eyes were filled with his equivalent of guilt.

Once the information had processed through to Seven's brain she couldn't help but feel furious. Her teeth gritted she told the Doctor. „It could have saved me a lot of humiliation and prevented a severely broken arm if you would have informed me about this crucial matter before my first date, Doctor. Just why did you think it was a good idea to hide that fact from me anyway? Did you presume my sexuality without even properly knowing me? What did you base your judgment on, my looks? The way I acted? Did I ever show even any remote interest in any male crewmember before our 'dating lessons'? I believe not! Because I did never have any interest in any of them!“

The Doctor had by now backed up against the wall, visibly shaken by the furious ex-Borg who had by now started smashing various medical equipment against the sickbay walls, a scream of agony escaping her lips. Only due to sheer luck no one noticed the commotion thanks to it currently being lunch break and most crewmembers having assembled in the mess hall. Once she had calmed down, Seven sat on the biobed, breathing heavily, hair disheveled and sticking to her sweaty forehead.

The Doctor slowly approached her, afraid to provoke another outburst if he made a too-quick movement. He told her, voice gentle. „Seven, I truly am sorry. I did never mean to assume your sexual orientation, not intentionally anyway. Unfortunately, my own knowledge on the subject had been limited to that of heterosexual relationships for the longest time, and honestly, I didn't consider there to be any other options until my assistant Tom Paris told me about Susan Nicoletti, an Ensign from Engineering, who had recently started dating another female crewmember. He then proceeded to tell me about homosexuality in humans which I plan on adding to Voyager's database, seeing as how there is a lack of the subject in the files talking about romance, a fact that is unacceptable. Seven, I am sure that if you tell the woman in question about your attraction she will be delighted. You are quite popular among crewmembers, males and females alike if I do say so myself and understandably so.“

Seven to the EMH's dismay gave a snarl at that, her gaze turned down. „Trust me, Doctor the individual in question is an exception to that rule. She is most certainly not interested in me in a romantic way. Is there any method at all to rid me of those unpleasant, inappropriate emotions I feel for her? I can not stand being close to her anymore if it always results in me feeling the way I do at this very moment.“ The Doctor's heart went out to his protégée, knowing the feeling she described way too well, having been in the same situation himself before, hologram, or not. Ironically enough it looked like the roles were now reversed. Still caring deeply for the young woman he felt his holographic heart ache at the incredibly sad, forlorn look on her usually stoic face, right human eye watery.

To the tall woman's dismay, the usually chirpy hologram had visibly deflated, his tone lacking its usual arrogance, eyes cast down. „I am afraid that there is no cure for love, Seven. The only way to deal with this situation is to face it and live with those emotions. Of course, I could give you a sedative to help you regenerate tonight. Apart from that, I am afraid there is nothing I can do for you in that matter though, apart from offering you to listen to you shall you feel the need to talk about those conflicting emotions of yours and guidance. I am as you are aware however lacking the expertise in the field of psychology.“

Seven had visibly deflated herself at that beyond dissatisfying response. She had hoped against hope that there would be a cure for what she still felt certainly did qualify as a 'disease', those physical sensations she felt anything but pleasant, or welcome. How was she ever supposed to face her Captain with the knowledge that she evoked such emotions in her? Grudgingly accepting the hypospray containing a sedative the Doctor offered her for the following night, Seven left sickbay in a rush. Instead of going to Astrometrics, she went back to her refuge, Cargo Bay 2, desperate to be in her 'private space' if you could call a technically public storage room that.

Once the doors had swished closed behind her the young woman sealed them with one of her Borg encryption codes to not risk getting disturbed, walking over to her alcove, sitting down on the dais. She took a shuttering breath before muttering. „I am in love.“, she shook her head, the phrase feeling and sounding so foreign to her. She took another breath before repeating, tentatively rolling the words around in her mouth. „I am in love.“ Swallowing against the knot that had formed in her throat she added. „with the Captain...“ Feeling deeply disturbed with her own statement, the young woman got up from her sitting position, refreshing and changing into a new biosuit, shaking her head. „No, this is wrong. This can not be love. I am merely experiencing sexual attraction towards her. I am confused because I have not regenerated last night...“

During her duty shift in Astrometrics Seven found herself unable to concentrate on work, her mind betraying her, that moment at the Captain's quarters the night before coming back to her in a rush. To her shock, none other than Kathryn Janeway herself entered the lab towards the end of her duty shift. „Hello, Seven.“ As the older woman stood next to her, her scent once more wafted over to the poor young woman who felt an involuntary shiver go through her at this, inwardly cursing her traitorous body. „Captain. My report is not finished yet.“

Janeway to Seven's surprise smiled at this and waved it off dismissively. „Don't worry about that, Seven. I just came by to see how you are doing. You still owe me an answer from earlier I believe.“ The young woman frowned at this, wondering for a moment what the older woman was referring to until it hit her. Oh no! That answer. She had sincerely hoped the redhead had forgotten all about that, but it seemed her hope had been futile. Unable to hold her Captain's piercing blue gaze she looked down, uncharacteristically fiddling with her hands. „I... did not manage to complete a regeneration cycle, Captain.“

The Captain frowned at this, pinching the bridge of her nose, her tone small when she admitted. „Same here. Try as I might I was not able to get any sleep last night.“ Seven's eyes widened at that revelation, immediately regretting her decision to pay the older woman a visit the previous night. „I apologize, Captain. I did not mean to keep you from sleep last night. Had I known that me visiting you would result in you being unable to get back to sleep I would not have come by after all...“ The shorter woman's features visibly softened at this, gently patting Seven's shoulder which resulted in the young blonde's by now familiar symptoms to resurface, much to her chagrin. „It's not your fault sleep eluded me last night, Seven. In all honesty, I had been tossing and turning in my bed before you'd arrived and just made the decision to stop trying and read a book instead. I was actually thankful for the distraction your company offered. Usually, I always manage to fall asleep after our nightly talks, but somehow last night was the odd time that was not the case...“

Seven was stunned at hearing this, a flutter having started in the pit of her stomach, but she merely gave a curt nod, her excitement unable to be detected from her tone. „I see. For me, it is similar, Captain. Whenever we have had one of our philosophical discussions, I find myself able to regenerate much easier afterward as our conversations tend to have a calming effect on me. Yet, for some reason, it was different last night.“ Seven refrained from telling the other woman that it was the memory of her scent that had resulted in her inability to concentrate on regenerating, her mind and body too preoccupied replaying the moment in which she had first noticed it, somehow unable to forget it.

Janeway frowned at this but quickly masked it with her usual Captain's facade of indifference, voice a little too firm when she exclaimed. „I'm sorry, Seven, but I have to get back to the bridge. I'd only meant to stop by and check up on you. Don't worry about that duty report of yours. My desk's already piled up with work as it is, so feel free to take as much time as you need to complete that. I will see you around.“ Just like that she had left the lab, leaving behind a thoroughly confused ex-Borg. Her mind now once again preoccupied with Janeway, Seven, who noticed to her distaste that she would be unable to get back to work in this state, her symptoms back in full force as well, decided to clock in early today and try to get some rest after all.

With that intention in mind, Seven strutted confidently along the corridor. Her body did not cooperate with her mind however as it should soon turn out. Seven who had blindly walked ahead soon finding herself inside the turbo lift, instead of her Cargo Bay. 'What is the meaning of this? It appears my sense of direction has failed me as well.' Following a sudden impulse, she instructed. „Deck 3, Captain's quarters.“ She knew the action she was about to perform was highly immoral, if Janeway was to find out about her having invaded her privacy like this, knowing said concept was of utmost importance to her Captain, doom was sure to come her way. Still, the young woman to her own shock found herself unable to resist the temptation of being able to be alone in her love interest's, no sexual interest's, she mentally corrected herself private refuge which she was usually only allowed to enter with the older woman's permission.

Once the turbo lift came to a halt on Deck 3, fortunately for the young woman the ride had gone undetected by other crewmembers since she'd been the sole user of it at that time, she strutted towards the familiar quarters, using one of her Borg encryption codes to let herself in. She shook her head at the carelessness of her Captain. Anyone who was clever and sneaky enough could easily enter the older woman's quarters anytime, including hostile alien species, using the same method she'd just used. Seven decided at that moment that she'd fix this obvious security flaw as soon as she'd have that traitorous body of hers under control again and was able to communicate to her Captain in a proper way without having to fear for her systems to malfunction due to a short circuit.

Upon entering the familiar living space of the Captain's quarters, Seven involuntarily inhaled deeply, the scent of the other woman hanging in the air, causing her pulse to pick up, perspiration to increase and respiration to quicken, her mind feeling like mush, her senses completely taking over for once, her usual sense of logic now merely a distant memory anymore. Her long legs instinctively guided her over to the older woman's sacred bedroom which she before this day out of respect towards her mentor had never once set a foot in. After two more long strides, she stood right at the foot of the bed, her eyes falling on the peach-colored silk nightgown that lay draped over the sheets. Following her instincts once again, the blonde reached one hand out towards the garment, grabbing it by the hem and lifting it up to her nose.

A groan left her lips once Janeway's intoxicating essence filled her nostrils, causing her head to spin, an unfamiliar heat pooling in her nether region which resulted in her naturally pale cheeks to turn a color much similar to that of her Captain's nightgown. 'What is the meaning of this? This is most unpleasant. Am I by any chance experiencing... sexual arousal caused by the Captain's scent?' She gulped when the realization hit her, feeling utterly ashamed, yet unable to help herself, being the naturally curious person she was, always eager to explore new emotions and aspects of her humanity. Using that as an excuse, Seven lifted the nightgown to her nose once more, burying her face deep in the soft fabric of it, breathing in the familiar scent, her eyes closing at their own volution, a content sigh escaping those luscious lips of hers.

She was vaguely aware that the actions she currently performed were wrong and she probably looked like she'd lost her mind, yet she pushed those thoughts aside, for the time being, relishing in the moment for a while longer before placing the nightgown back on the exact same spot it had been positioned before, draping it over the sheet in the exact same manner as well before calling out to the ship's computer. „Initiate direct transport to Cargo Bay 2.“ The familiar blue light of the transporter beam engulfed her at this and within the blink of an eye, she found herself back in her Cargo Bay. Not wanting to risk being unable to regenerate again she grabbed the hypospray containing the sedative the Doctor had handed her earlier. Once she had made sure the Cargo Bay was properly sealed, she stepped into her alcove, pressing the hypospray against her neck as soon as her body was connected to the apparatus, her eyes closing and mind going completely blank.

After a long and admittedly straining duty shift on the bridge which she'd mostly spent in her ready room, busy reading the departments' reports and requests from crewmembers, Kathryn Janeway was looking forward to a calm evening in the privacy of her quarters. While the water for one of her beloved baths ran into the tub, the Captain found her thoughts drifting back to her conversation with her Astrometrics Officer the previous night. She inwardly scolded herself for having gotten her hopes up. 'What were you expecting, Katie? That she'd run into your arms the moment she'd learn about romance and dating? What an old fool you are...' Still, it had stung more than she cared to admit even to herself when the younger woman had told her in that typical indifferent manner of hers that there was no suitable candidate that met her apparently high standards for a romantic partner on this ship. Dating and romance were irrelevant anyway, after all, according to a certain ex-Borg...

A sigh left the redhead once she sat in the warm water, the stress of the day instantly falling off of her shoulders. She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth, soon growing sleepy. Not wanting to risk falling asleep in the tub which may or may not had happened to her in the past before she reluctantly got out of the tub, rubbing her body dry, dressing in her fluffy bathrobe, and trotting over to her bedroom. Upon entering the room the petite woman couldn't help but feel like something was off. She could not for the life of her determine what she based this on though so decided to brush it off, for the time being, blaming her lack of sleep and overall fatigue to cause her to hallucinate. When she took up her nightgown and changed into it, the feeling only intensified, however, causing cold shivers to run down her spine. 'Someone was here...'

She had no idea why she was suddenly convinced of that fact, yet she decided to inform her oldest friend and Chief of Security Tuvok of her suspicions first thing the next morning. For now, she was simply too tired to think about anything, let alone do anything anymore. She barely managed to plop onto her bed before drifting off to sleep...

The next morning arrived far too soon for Janeway's liking, never having been a morning person. 'At least I have for once managed to sleep without interruption.' After completing her typical morning routine she hailed Tuvok to inform him of her suspicions. „Janeway to Tuvok.“, after merely a few seconds the Vulcan's calm deep voice answered her. „Tuvok here. How may I be of service, Captain?“ She pinched the bridge of her nose before answering him. „I have reason to believe that someone has entered my quarters without my permission yesterday and taking past encounters with hostile alien species into consideration I'd like to be certain that there is no possible threat to the safety of the crew of this ship, or the ship itself. Could you come over and take a look at your earliest convenience?“ To her relief, he answered her right away. „Of course, Captain. I am on my way.“

After less than five minutes the chime to her quarters rang. „Come in!“. Sure enough, her Chief of Security entered her quarters. „Good morning, Captain. I have come here on my own since it sounded to me like this was a matter of utmost importance and privacy.“ She nodded at this, thankful at the older man's tact. „Good morning, Tuvok. Your assessment of the situation was correct. I expect this matter to be treated with utmost caution and stay between the two of us for the time being.“ The tall man nodded at this before asking. „Captain, may you tell me what made you reach the conclusion that someone entered your quarters without your permission and when did you come to that realization?“

The Captain ran a hand through her hair, explaining to her friend. „I first felt like something was amiss when I entered my bedroom last night. It was this hunch that someone had been in there, but I can't for the life of me tell you what made me reach that conclusion. You might call me paranoid now, but due to unpleasant past encounters with hostile alien species and taking the fact that we are still out here in the Delta Quadrant where anything seems to be possible into consideration I simply want to be prepared and make sure that everyone is safe.“ Tuvok nodded at this, content that his friend had for once not only stated she wished for her crew to be safe but for everyone, this as he hoped including her, the Captain herself.

„I will see what I can find, Captain if there are any leads at all that is. Since you have told me that you first noticed irregularities inside your bedroom I shall start my investigation there and work my way around your quarters from there if that is agreeable with you. My investigations may take a while seeing as how I am on my own this time, however, so I'll need to find someone to replace me on the bridge in the meantime.“ Janeway nodded at this, telling him. „This matter is of relevance to the crew of this ship so you have my permission to start your investigation right away. I am going to arrange a replacement for you on the bridge for the time being. Leave it all to me. I will be in my ready room shall you need me. You have my full trust, Tuvok.“

„Regeneration cycle complete.“ Seven blinked her eyes open, feeling refreshed as her nanoprobes had finally been able to stabilize thanks to her having performed and for once completed a full regeneration cycle. She stepped out of her alcove and prepared herself for the day. Deciding to be 'bold' for her standards anyway she dressed in her favorite red biosuit. One of these days she would ask for permission to wear more casual, adequate clothing, but for now, this would have to do. She first went to the mess hall to get 'breakfast' which for her was one of her nutritional supplements to further assure the quick stabilization of her nanoprobes and increase her efficiency.

She sat at a table in a corner by the viewport, sipping on nutritional supplement 13 alpha, mind lightyears away when a familiar husky voice startled her in her thoughts, suddenly causing her to be highly alert. „Good morning, Seven. May I sit down with you?“ What small semblance of composure Seven had regained after her successful regeneration crumbled thanks to the sudden appearance of none other than the object of her desires. Ignoring all the warning signs and her mind screaming at her that this was probably not a good idea the young woman answered, voice shaking barely audibly. „Good morning, Captain. Go ahead.“

The redhead to Seven's shock proceeded to sit down next to her, the sudden close proximity to the woman she'd so desperately tried to forget, causing the familiar symptoms she'd hoped to be able to avoid today to come back even stronger than before. Janeway who seemed blissfully unaware of her protégée's misery took a hearty sip of her drug of choice which to Seven's horror was followed by a sigh that in all honesty sounded more like a moan, audibly swallowing the as the younger woman was convinced piping hot beverage. The blonde couldn't help but watch in fascination how the muscles in her Captain's neck convulsed as the liquid traveled down her esophagus, causing the young woman to subconsciously lick her luscious lips.

She snapped out of her daze when that much too alluring voice of the older woman wafted over to her. „By the way, Seven, I was wondering. Did you finally manage to complete a regeneration cycle last night? You do look rather refreshed. I'm taking that as a good sign.“ Seven gave a curt nod, answering truthfully. „Your observation is correct, Captain. I did complete a full regeneration cycle last night without interruption and I do feel rather... refreshed thanks to it. How about you? Did you manage to sleep last night? You do look rather... refreshed yourself if I may say so.“Seven was beyond relieved and grateful Janeway herself had provided her with that word, afraid she'd been at a loss of what to say otherwise that wouldn't have made her attraction towards the other woman very obvious. The blonde felt oddly relieved when her Captain told her lightly. „I was out like a light last night. Seems like deciding to take a bath after my duty shift worked wonders.“

The two women both finished their respective breakfasts before leaving the mess hall, taking the turbo lift to get to their work stations. With there merely being one deck between the mess hall and the bridge Janeway left the turbo lift first, smiling softly at Seven and wishing her a pleasant rest of the day which ignited a strange sensation in the pit of the tall woman's abdomen she decided to safe to her files for later research. Seven wished Janeway a pleasant day in return before the doors of the turbo lift closed again and brought her down to deck 8 where her Astrometrics lab awaited her. She sincerely hoped that today she'd finally be able to finish that duty report and get some actual work done instead of lusting after her commanding Officer like the day before.

Upon entering her lab she instantly knew that something was off. The mood was strange somehow, her subordinates having huddled together, chatting excitedly. Seven instantly felt annoyed at their unprofessional attitude. One individual in particular stood out to her. Unsurprisingly said individual was none other than Tal Celes. Seven and the Bajoran had had their fair share of arguments, both work-related and of a more personal nature in the past due to the young woman's personality that highly contradicted Seven's own. It was no secret that the young brunette was B'Elanna Torres's biggest competition in terms of being the ship's gossip.

Her voice stern Seven exclaimed upon approaching her co-workers. „What is the meaning of this? Ensign Celes, explain!“ The young woman turned in her direction, eyes wide in shock, voice a stuttering mess. „S-Seven, you are... here. I-it's nothing really. Just irrelevant rumors that Lieutenant Torres told me earlier...“ Seven had a hard time not to roll her eyes at this, eyes narrowed she asked in an even sharper tone. „Elaborate! What are those 'rumors' the Lieutenant told you? As your commanding officer, I wish to know that kind of information and be the judge of the relevance of it myself.“ The young woman audibly gulped at this, her cheeks had turned crimson she stammered out. „According to the Lieutenant there has been a break-in to the Captain's quarters last night and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok is currently conducting an investigation on the matter, trying to find the culprit.“

The tall woman had a hard time not to flinch as the information settled in. 'An investigation? In the Captain's quarters? This can not be! I was not there last night though. It was after lunchtime. Can it be a coincidence? Just my luck...' Seven inwardly sighed before telling her co-workers in her typical firm fashion that allowed no objections. „Enough with the chit chat. I expect everyone to get back to work now. We have wasted enough time on trivialities already.“ At this everyone hurried back to their consoles. Seven despite her highly disconcerting new knowledge decided to work on that dreaded report nonetheless in hopes that it would help her distract her mind enough from a certain someone.

Lunchtime had arrived, but Seven who was immersed in writing her report which she was determined to deliver to her Captain later today stayed behind in the lab, her colleagues one by one leaving for the mess hall. It was beyond Seven how her co-workers could be so eager to get there only to be forced to eat one of Neelix's questionable creations. 'Humans are strange.', she mused to herself, with the exception of one of them then again that woman just might take the prize for being the weirdest of them all. 'Curious. Despite her weirdness and our obvious differences I can not help but find myself magically attracted to her.' Her report finally finished the young woman against her better judgment decided to go to the older woman's private chambers once more, unable to resist the temptation. 'Only one more time.', she mused to herself.

At the same time, a certain redhead who had just finished sifting through her crew's duty reports decided to go on lunch break. Tuvok had finished checking her quarters a while back, to her disappointment and relief all the same without result. He had promised to continue his investigation on her case though. Janeway, unbeknownst to her old friend had come up with a plan to take matters into her own hands though and try to for once outsmart the Vulcan, determined to solve the case herself. How she was to do that she had no idea so far. 'Maybe I'll be able to come up with an idea through lunch. Mom's tomato soup has so far helped me solve many problems. If I'm lucky enough it might help me in this case too.'

She entered her quarters and was about to go over to her replicator when she caught something in her peripheral that made her backtrack. Had she left the bedroom door open this morning? She could've sworn that she'd closed it when she left. Then again, Tuvok had searched her quarters earlier. Maybe he had opened it and forgotten to close it again. Her eyes widened when she noticed something red. Knowing that there was nothing red in her bedroom she knew that something was off. She carefully approached her bedroom, the silhouette of someone facing away from her that stood in her bedroom became visible. Long legs, blonde hair, and what turned out to be a red biosuit soon becoming visible. Her eyes wide in recognition the older woman made sure to be even quieter now, aware of the younger woman's enhanced senses.

Seven seemed way too engrossed in whatever she was doing in her bedroom however to notice the older woman's presence anyway. 'What is Seven doing in my bedroom?' Her curiosity defeating her common sense, she sneaked into the room like a ninja, walking around the young woman until she was facing her, mouth gaping in shock and utter disbelief at the sight she was then greeted with. Seven who stood at the foot of the older woman's bed had her face buried in Janeway's nightgown, her eyes closed, seemingly completely absorbed in the activity. 'Oh heavens! What _is_ she doing there?' Unable to endure this tension any longer, the older woman exclaimed loud enough to cause Seven to snap out of her daze. „Seven.“ The young woman visibly stiffened upon hearing the older woman's voice calling out her name. Her voice slightly hoarse she had the audacity to state. „Captain, you are here.“

The redhead could not help but snort at this, beyond stunned at the younger woman's behavior. Her tone amused she told her matter-of-factly. „I have every right to be in my quarters whenever I please, Seven. The question is: 'What are you doing here?' In my bedroom and with my nightgown none the less...“ This situation was so absurd, the Captain would have laughed had it not been so serious. She couldn't help but worry about her protégée's well-being. After what seemed like an eternity but in reality, had merely been around a minute of silence the ex-Borg muttered. „I sincerely apologize for intruding on your privacy like this and entering your quarters without your permission. I promise it will not happen again. Feel free to throw me into the brig, or drop me by the next Borg cube. I accept whatever punishment you deem suitable for my crimes.“

Janeway was shocked at the young woman's words, her heart aching. Her voice was genuinely curious and gentle. „And what are those crimes that we are talking about here, Seven? No matter what it is that you did I would never ever abandon you, or bring you back to the Borg. I thought you knew that by now. Voyager is your home, Seven, or your Collective as you called it before and I will protect you and defend you, come what may.“ To her astonishment, the young woman had started to sniffle at this. Deciding that it was irrelevant what she had done and determined to console her, the older woman wrapped her arms around the shaking form of her beloved Astrometrics Officer, caressing her back soothingly.

Seven felt positively dreadful. It felt so good to be hugged by Kathryn Janeway like this, yet she knew better than to enjoy this rare moment too much and get carried away. Her voice thick with tears she forced out. „I am not worth your affection, your kindness, Captain. It was wrong and selfish to follow my desires, because of my feelings for you. The fact that I am romantically attracted to you completely clouded my judgment and my need to feel close to you physically caused me to act against all logic. I deeply apologize even though I am aware that no simple apology could ever make up for the harm I've caused. I have betrayed your trust and deserve to be punished...“

To her surprise, the older woman held up her hand in her typical fashion, her tone anything but angry, or repulsed, rather it sounded... confused. „Hold that thought... You are romantically attracted to me? When did that happen? Pardon my question, but on our last nightly meeting, you had told me that you were not interested in pursuing romance any longer since there was no suitable candidate on this ship that matched your criteria. Did I misunderstand that?“ Seven swallowed against the big fat knot that had formed in her throat, muttering in embarrassment. „You did not misunderstand that. I was not aware that a female human was able to be romantically attracted to another female as well and have her as her mate. This fact was not mentioned in the database and the Doctor merely informed me about it when I described my symptoms to him after the senior staff meeting.“

Janeway was intrigued by that information, asking Seven curiously. „May I know what those symptoms were, Seven?“ The young woman felt utterly humiliated and ashamed but felt like she owed her Captain all the answers to the questions she had all the same. It was really the least she could do after the actions she'd committed. „I found that my heart rate and respiration quickened and my perspiration increased when I was around you. I first became aware of that fact when we were sitting on your couch the other night and you leaned over, removing that speck of dust from my biosuit. When I caught a whiff of your scent, my mind seemed to turn into mush combined with the aforementioned symptoms.“

Kathryn felt a flutter in her chest at that, a new ray of hope had begun to spark inside her. Unable to stand seeing the younger woman look so utterly miserable any longer, face turned down in obvious shame, she told her gently. „Seven, please look at me.“ The blonde's face slowly turned up, tear-stained cheeks and slightly red nose coming to show, her right human eye slightly puffy. When their eyes met, it was as if a firework went off between them.

Kathryn who was by now only thanks to years of command training still able to keep some semblance of composure, gently cupped her beloved's impossibly soft cheeks, wiping away the remnants of the younger woman's tears. „Darling, I am so sorry for not seeing the signs. I had been convinced our Doctor had informed you about same-sex relationships existing right during your first lessons regarding dating and romance. All those 30 000 Giga quads of data on the subject seemed to have been for naught as well if there was no indication of the matter either. Had I been aware of that I would have personally taught you about romance and dating, instead of letting the Doctor take on that part, but I had not the slightest clue that you could be interested in females, much less myself. Tell me, you said earlier that you are romantically interested in me. How exactly did you reach that conclusion and what does that mean for you, or our relationship? Would you want to say... like to go on a romantic date with me?“

The older of the duo who knew better than to get her hopes up too soon, having gotten her heart broken one too many times in the past thought it was better to be safe than sorry, especially when it came to this young woman who had admittedly turned her world upside down and taken a hold of her heart a long time ago. 'Let's face it, Katie. It was clearly love at first sight. Seven saved you as much as you saved her. Even if she doesn't declare her undying love to you, there may be hope that she will learn to love you in time. After all, she has come so far in terms of regaining her humanity already, and out here in the Delta Quadrant, you have all the time in the world. Even if she will never fall in love with you, that's fine too. You love her and that fact is never going to change.'

The redhead's musings were interrupted by a tiny voice. „I would... love to go on a romantic date with you, Captain.“ Kathryn Janeway felt like her world just turned upside down once again caused by none other than the same extraordinary woman who'd done just that back then on that Borg cube. Her voice raspy she queried. „You would?“ Janeway cleared her throat before resuming her speech. „I would love to go on one with you too, Seven. From what I've heard dancing is not advised though, seeing as how Mr. Chapman's arm is still not fully healed yet...“ The redhead instantly scolded herself for having reminded the poor young woman of that most unfortunate incident. To her utter surprise and astonishment a curious sound, much like a snort resounded from the latter. When her eyes fell upon Seven, Kathryn Janeway was stunned to find her protégée laughing in the most contagious way, the sound crystal clear, her gorgeous features void of her usual stoicism, looking so beautifully carefree instead.

Unable to contain herself, the Captain soon joined in on the laughter, soon causing the still embracing pair to topple over and fall right onto the older woman's bed. Her cheeks turning crimson upon the realization that Seven was now in fact on top of her which to her astonishment caused the sexiest smirk to form on the younger woman's face who leaned in further, completely disregarding the older woman's personal space, breathing in that intoxicating scent she'd come to love ever since she'd first breathed it in.

Her voice sounding much like a growl, nostrils flaring. „Kathryn.“, causing the very smitten petite woman under her to whimper adorably and very uncaptainlike. „S-Seven, please...“ She was unable to continue, her brain forced to shut off for once as the young woman leaned down, misinterpreting the older woman's words as an invitation, finally giving in to that built-up arousal and desire to taste Kathryn and to make her hers.

Seven's tongue glided over the expanse of Janeway's neck, causing the redhead to shiver in anticipation and delight, which in turn made Seven groan out in arousal. Her senses heightened with that very essence that was uniquely Kathryn surrounding her, Seven was lost in the moment, unaware of the crackle of the comm badge that was still firmly attached to her lover's chest, Chakotay's concerned voice soon alerting the Captain.

„Kathryn? Pardon the intrusion, but is everything alright? You were not on the bridge or your ready room.“ Her eyes shot open at this, flinching at her second in command's use of her first name at a moment like this. 'Way to go, Katie. You are supposed to be on the bridge right now. Just what time is it anyway?'

Having completely lost all track of time she simply came up with an excuse as a cover-up for her faux-pas. „I've been caught up with those duty reports all morning and therefore decided to take a break now. Sorry for making you worry. I forgot to inform you of my absence...“ To her relief Chakotay answered her, voice laced in understanding. „That's alright. You deserve a break, Captain. You should probably take the rest of the day off. I will take over the bridge for the time being. By the way, you don't happen to have heard anything from Seven of Nine, have you? Tal Celes has reported her missing from Astrometrics earlier and frankly, the young woman seemed quite worked-up over the matter. Apparently they had a little bit of a fall-out this morning, so she kept blaming herself for her absence...“

Kathryn had a hard time not to moan at her seemingly insatiable lover who had started to dig her teeth into the particularly sensitive spot at her neck where her pips were usually attached to her collar. She skillfully unpinned the young woman's hair from its tight bun, desperate to run her fingers through those luscious golden tresses, all the while answering her first Officer in a nonchalant tone she was surprised with herself she managed to pull off, taking her current situation into consideration. „I am going to take you up on that offer, Chakotay. Thank you. As for Seven, don't worry. She needed a break herself, but she is doing fine. Feel free to tell Ensign Tal that. I am going to destress now. Hail me only in case of an emergency. Otherwise, I wish to not be disturbed on my free day. Janeway out.“

Not wanting to risk further interruptions, Kathryn took off her comm badge along with her pips, neatly placing them on her nightstand before resuming to remove the pins out of Seven's hair. A yelp left the older woman's lips when out of a sudden a cold hand creeped under her tunic, coming in contact with her heated up skin. Her voice low and sensual, the younger woman breathed into Kathryn's ear. „This needs to go, Kathryn.“ It felt like a switch had turned in the redhead at that, suddenly becoming putty in the blonde's hands, following her 'command' without objections. Soon enough her command tunic was out of the way, lying discarded on the deck, leaving her in only her grey tank top.

She was about to take that off as well when a firm voice stopped her in her actions. „Leave that on for now. I have always found it quite aesthetically pleasing to look at you in this outfit, Kathryn. Just look at you. Such perfection.“ The older woman felt the heat creep up from her neck all the way to her cheeks at her lover's praise, combined with the affectionate strokes along her arms, feather-like kisses soon being placed around her collarbone down to her exposed chest. Kathryn drew in shuttering breaths at the younger woman's actions, Seven soon pulling the tank top down by the straps, gliding her hands inside the fabric until it came in contact with her lover's breasts that to her delight were nestled into a red lace bra. A smirk formed on Seven's lips at this. „I do not believe that this is a Starfleet issue bra. Is it, Kathryn?“

The redhead felt caught at this, her cheeks taking on a similar color as the piece of lingerie in question, stuttering out. „Uh, well, no. It is part of my own closet just like my nightgown. I prefer to wear my own lingerie because it's not as scratchy as the Starfleet issue stuff. Whoever invented that clearly wasn't a woman...“ Seven couldn't help but chuckle at this, for once feeling glad she wasn't required to wear any bra herself. „I see. It is not only more comfortable but also much more visually appealing than one of those 'scratchy' Starfleet issue pieces, Kathryn. Red is truly becoming on you. I love how it matches your fiery personality as well.“ The tank top by now discarded, Seven started to cover the older woman's breasts in kisses which were soon combined with nibbles and sucking, the young woman determined to 'mark her territory'. Kathryn on the other hand had turned into a moaning mess underneath her, hands tangled into the silky mane of her lover, occasionally pulling on it when Seven reached a particularly sensitive spot.

Kathryn Janeway was convinced that none of her past lovers had ever managed to arouse her anywhere close to Seven right at this moment, her red lace panties positively drenched in her arousal, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by her lover who's nostrils flared once the older woman's intoxicating musk hit them, a primal growl leaving her lips, voice shuttering in arousal, eyes black with desire. „Kathryn, take off your pants. Now!“ The addressed woman quickly scrambled to follow her deeply aroused lover's command, first kicking off her boots, followed by her socks and pants, resulting in them landing in a pile on the floor in front of the bed. Now merely dressed in her bra and panties anymore she managed to coax out. „That too?“ Seven nodded sternly. „Everything.“

Once Kathryn was completely void of any clothing she felt vulnerable, trying to cover up her exposed body, self-consciousness kicking in out of a sudden, the fact that Seven was still very much dressed becoming painfully obvious to her. Seven's demeanor changed upon noticing her lover's behavior, kissing the unsuspecting redhead's lips deeply, causing a sigh to leave both of them, Kathryn's hands running through Seven's hair as their breaths mingled, tongues dancing around each other. Both of them panting heavily when they parted, Seven licked her plump lips, eyes half-lidded, tone thick with arousal. „Kathryn, may you help me take this off please?“

The older woman nodded, happy to help. She started to fumble with the garment before huffing. „Seven, could you tell me how one takes these off? I've been wondering about this ever since I first saw you dressed in one of the Doctor's creations.“ The tall woman blushed softly at this which send a flutter to the pit of Janeway's stomach before explaining. „There is a button at the back of my neck which you have to press then it will release my body from the material.“ Kathryn nodded at this, mouth gaping open slightly in fascination. „I see! That is actually quite ingenious.“ Seven quirked her left eyebrow at this, sending a jolt to Kathryn's already aching groin. „It is efficient and practical.“ The Captain swallowed, quickly pushing that button once she'd found it, resulting in the fabric to release Seven's ample breasts. Kathryn licked her lips at the tempting sight, marveling at the way the young woman's rosy nipples stood erect, a sudden urge to taste them and suck them causing her mouth to go dry.

Seven who noticed Kathryn's stares, feeling her skin burn under that intense gaze, coaxed out. „Feel free to give in to your desires, Kathryn.“ The older woman needn't be told that twice, burgundy lips engulfing one of those tempting nipples right away, sucking the soft, sensitive flesh with gusto, causing a pleasured moan to leave Seven's lips, eyes meeting those of her lover. Determined to return the pleasure the older woman made her experience, Seven's hands cupped Kathryn's breasts, tweaking her nipples between her thumb and index which earned her a sexy low moan in return. The redhead puffed her cheeks. „Seven, you're not playing fair.“ To the Captain's chagrin, the blonde told her matter-of-factly at this. „All is fair in love, Kathryn.“, making the redhead roll her eyes.

The ex-Borg growled at this, her tone low and sensual. „Do not roll your eyes like that, or I will have to punish you, Kathryn.“ The redhead felt herself blush at this, rubbing her legs together, desperate for friction. Seven who noticed this smirked. „You wish to be punished, Kathryn. The thought is arousing you. Is it not?“ Janeway's eyes went wide at her lover's remark, fear suddenly gripping her heart at the aspect of one of her deepest desires being exposed and thrown into the room like that, by Seven no less. Her heart pounding hard against her ribcage, her body having grown stiff she refused to answer, afraid and ashamed to be laughed at, belittled, humiliated for being a weirdo that enjoyed being restrained and dominated.

None of her past lovers had ever been aware of this secret submissive side of hers, Kathryn never having trusted them enough to tell them about this kinky desire of hers she herself was rather ashamed of. She didn't want to come over as selfish, that included bedroom activities, so naturally, she'd always paid far more attention to her lover's pleasure and not her own, resulting in her past sex life having been highly unsatisfying and dull for the redhead. Seven who noticed the shift in her lover's demeanor, instantly regretted having asked such a question. It was obvious she had crossed a certain line that was not supposed to have been crossed. 'Idiot! How could you voice that kind of assumption? I truly 'suck' at this human thing...'

Kathryn was silent for a while, making Seven even more convinced that she'd screwed this up when out of a sudden a tiny voice could be heard. „Please don't take this personally, darling. This is not about you, it's about me. I'm a mess and undeserving of your affection. You were so sweet, doing everything right and here I go ruin the mood, because of a foolish fantasy of mine. Forgive me...“ Seven blinked at this, the gears in her mind slowly rotating until suddenly it all made sense. With new determination, the lithe blonde gently asked her lover while caressing her cheeks. „This fantasy of yours. Please tell me about it, Kathryn. I wish to fulfill it for you if it is possible and do not worry I will not judge you for it or think any less of you. I am aware thanks to what I have read in the database that every individual has unique expectations in a romantic relationship and I guess that includes sexual activities as well.“

Kathryn was beyond glad Seven had for once not used that dreadfully stiff word 'copulation', yet she could not help but blush regardless. Voice filled with shame she muttered. „You don't have to fulfill my fantasy, Seven. Only if you're comfortable with it. Your earlier assumptions were correct, I'd enjoy giving up control for once and for you to be in command, and yes... I'd also not mind being punished by you if that would mean you'd spank my ass, or restrain me...“ To her utter surprise, Seven didn't react repulsed or shocked at all. In fact, her eyes had glazed over, her voice an octave deeper than usual, sending an excited shiver down the older woman's spine. „That can certainly be arranged, Kathryn. It would be my pleasure to pleasure you.“

The redhead bit her bottom lip, tears brimming in her eyes. „Oh, Seven. My beloved, darling, Seven. How did I ever get so lucky to find you? Have you be romantically interested in me? You would really do that for me?“ Seven smiled gently, catching Kathryn's trembling lips in a searing kiss, nodding. „If anyone was lucky it was I. You helped me escape the Collective, regain my humanity, my individuality and most importantly you taught me what it meant to love and be loved in return. I love you, Kathryn Janeway and I would do anything for you as long as it makes you happy.“ Kathryn's heart leaped at this, the tears now freely running down her cheeks, whispering. „And I love you, Seven. With all my heart. You saved me too and helped me grow as a person and for that, I am eternally grateful.“

Their lips met in another passionate kiss, tongues soon having found each other, gently caressing, drinking in each other's essence, having waited for so long for this moment to arrive. Kathryn's hands had soon started fumbling with that pesky biosuit of Seven that was still clinging to her from the waist down, resulting in the older woman feeling frustrated. Seven noticing her lover's struggles with her garment chuckled sensually, breathing against her lips. „Allow me, Kathryn. I have practice with taking this off.“ Seemingly in the blink of an eye and without much struggle, the young woman had soon efficiently rid herself of her one-piece, causing the redhead to stare and drink in the goddess on top of her in all her glory. Seven herself seemed rather shy at first, trying to keep her lover from seeing her implants, but after Kathryn had reassured her by stating that those were as much a part of her as everything else, the blonde noticeably relaxed.

To Kathryn's surprise, she suddenly felt the younger woman's sensual curves melt against hers, the heat between those long legs touching her own, resulting in both women to moan out. Seven who still had the upper hand, taking the lead in their lovemaking which Kathryn very much appreciated had leaned down once again, kissing seemingly random places of the redhead's body which made the latter giggle. „Seven, what are you doing?“ To her astonishment the blonde told her, voice determined. „I plan on finding every single one of those 'sun kisses' of yours, giving them the attention they deserve. You truly are perfection, Kathryn.“

The older woman's cheeks were bright red once again, but she didn't give a damn about that any longer, enjoying the attention Seven gave her far too much to care about such trivialities. She'd always been self-conscious about her freckles, not happy about having inherited them from her mother. The fact that Seven appreciated them, however, made her reconsider that. Maybe they weren't half bad after all. Her voice thick with arousal she told her lover. „Go ahead, Seven. I'm warning you in advance though. There are hundreds of them all over my body.“ Seven to her delight whispered at this. „We have all the time in the world, Kathryn. I am in no hurry.“

Their lovemaking had continued on until the next morning with small breaks in between during which Seven fed her lover, claiming that Kathryn required nutrition and hydration which she eventually accepted once she'd tried Seven's exceptional cooking, the newly found lovers unable to get enough of each other. They'd fallen asleep in each other's arms, Seven to her own surprise having no trouble sleeping despite this being her first-ever attempt in the matter. It looked like she was once again able to adapt quite easily.

The couple was currently sharing breakfast at the Captain's quarters when the chime rang. Kathryn frowned at this, exchanging a glance with Seven who merely shrugged, having as little a clue to who could be their early visitor as the redhead herself. Fortunately for them, they were both properly dressed already. Kathryn cleared her throat that felt rather raw due to their strenuous activities of the previous night, calling out to whoever was standing at the other side of her front door. „Come in!“ The doors swished open, revealing none other than Tuvok. Kathryn's eyes went wide, not at all having expected to see her oldest friend. The Vulcan who seemed to have noticed he'd arrived at an inconvenient time stated firmly. „Pardon my early intrusion, Captain. I just came by to personally inform you that my investigations on your case have terminated and the result was inconclusive.“

Seven had a hard time not to choke on her orange juice at his words, her cheeks taking on the lightest shade of pink, a fact which was fortunately for her hardly visible to the naked eye. Kathryn to her relief told him sincerely, her tone and expression giving away nothing. „It is quite alright, old friend. Thank you for informing me right away. There have been no further incidents, so I think it is safe to say that we can close this case. I will join you on the bridge shortly.“ Tuvok nodded at this, both women's mouths gaping as he added. „By the way, congratulations on your relationship. I believe Commander Chakotay owes me 5 holodeck rations.“ Kathryn called out after him. "No gambling on my ship!" But the Vulcan had already left the room again.


End file.
